Wilson Cab Driver Sues Easton Pair In Shooting

December 12, 1985|The Morning Call

A Wilson cab driver called to the scene of a 1983 domestic disturbance that ended in gunfire and an armed stand-off between an Easton manand city police has filed suit against the man and his wife in Northampton County Court.

Marshall Sulkin, of 1523A Liberty St., says in his suit against James and Tina Wooten, 1071 Bushkill Drive, that he suffered severe injuries and mental anguish as a result of the Feb. 23, 1983 incident.

Sulkin, who was employed by Yellow Cab of Easton, was summoned to the Wooten home to pick up Mrs. Wooten after she and her husband quarreled. As he approached the residence in a cab, the suit says Wooten fired two shots, one of which struck the cab's left fender, the other shattering the vehicle's windshield. Sulkin's face was cut by glass from the windshield, the suit says.

As a result of the incident, Sulkin says he suffered, and still suffers, from injuries including "psychosis, including strong delusional features and hallucinations, paranoia, acute psychotic reaction, mental confusion impairing his ability to perform work, confusion, agitation (and) schizophrenic disorder."

Those injuries have required his hospitalization and have made him unable to return to his occupation as a cab driver, or to any other occupation, the suit says.

He is seeking a total of more than $80,000 in damages from the Wootens in the suit, prepared by attorneys Martin Cohen, Jerry Knafo and Gus Milides.

Wooten, a Vietnam veteran who said he was experiencing flashbacks of his wartime experiences at the time, fired 12 to 20 rounds at police during the 47-minute stand-off. Police fired no shots during the incident, which ended when police grabbed Wooten as he exited the house, still carrying a shotgun.

Wooten pleaded guilty in Northampton County Court in January 1984 to four counts of aggravated assault. He was given a suspended sentence of two-and-a- half to five years in state prison in June 1984, along with 10 years on state probation and a $1,000 fine.